It was my privilege to know the man very intimately into whose brain and heart the thought of this work first came. He saw the thousands that were beyond the apparent reach of the churches. He saw them as they swarmed up and down the Avenue. It was the burden of souls in which this movement began. That man was a man of prayer. I shall never forget the time when, before any meeting or committee was called together, he came to my study and unfolded his thought in reference to those unchurched thousands and begged me to kneel with him in the study and ask God to lead him out into this work. I shall never forget that here his faith was greater than mine.

He next sought out men of like faith and kindred spirit with himself. Thank God he found them, and they are largely here tonight. How did this work begin? I want to emphasize that it was its spirituality and soul-burden for the lost -- a soul kneeling before God and praying for the lost -- a soul reaching out toward others, and they in turn going forward in the same work. It seems to me if there ever was anything apostolic in its origin, it is the Central Union Mission.